Category NT Book 03 – Luke

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Jesus was taken away to be crucified, and there were two criminals taken with him to be put to death, fulfilling Isaiah 53:12, which said he would be numbered with transgressors. Luke says that they came to a place known as the skull. It is also known as Golgatha which comes from an Aramaic word for skull. There, they crucified Him and the criminals with one on each side of Him. Jesus said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

One prisoner began to mock as well, but the other rebuked him and asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Jesus told him that this day he would be with Him in paradise (verse 43). Jesus, as we saw in other passages, did have the authority to forgive sins, and He exercised it there.

Joseph of Arimathea was a member of the Sanhedrin council who had not consented to their decision to railroad the Lord. Luke says that he was a good and righteous man, and was looking for the kingdom. He got custody of the body of Jesus from Pilate, and wrapped it in a linen shroud. Then he placed it in a tomb that was cut in stone and had never been used for burial. The women prepared ointment and spices. And then they rested on the Sabbath rested as commanded.

The day that Jesus rose, two of His disciples were traveling to the village of Emmaus. One was named Cleopas, but we do not know the name of the other. We are told in verse 16 that “their eyes were kept from recognizing him” when Jesus drew near. When He asks them about the conversation they are having, the two men proceed to tell him about Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus gave them a mild rebuke for being slow to believe what the prophets had spoken. He then interpreted Scriptures from Moses and the prophets concerning the Christ. The revelation of Himself to these two disciples would appear to serve one purpose – that of a proper eyewitness account.

In Luke 22, the Feast of the Passover is approaching, and Jesus sends Peter and John in to town to find a room. He told them exactly in detail what they would find when they got there, and it is exactly what they found. Judas, meanwhile, had already made arrangements with the chief priests and officers as to how he would betray Jesus.

English: “The Judas Kiss”, (Mark 14:45) by Gustave Doré. Judas kisses Jesus in order to betray him to the guards. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In verses 14-23, Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, and also revealed that one of them would betray him. In Luke’s account, their concern and inquiry as to which one of them would be the worst (in that respect) was followed quickly by an argument between them as to which one of them was the greatest. They still just didn’t get it, and Jesus told them that the least would be the greatest. Being in the kingdom was not about being lifted up before men. It was (and still is) all out serving others.

This long chapter (66 verses) has a lot of history in it. Jesus informs Peter of his impending denial, and then he goes to the mount of Olives to pray. Next comes his betrayal by Judas and his arrest. After Peter’s denial, he is mocked and beaten, and then he was brought before the council. He gives them very little in their questioning, saying “You say that I am” when asked if he was the Son of God. That was enough for them. They would take him to Pilate to do their dirty work.

In Luke 20, the chief priests and scribes challenge Jesus’ authority in verses 1-8. Then in verses 9-18, he tells the parable of the wicked tenants, citing Psalm 118:22 in verse 17: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” It is obviously about the rejection of the Son of God by the Jewish leaders, and that perception is not lost on those present. Verse 19 says that they “sought to lay hands on him that very hour.”

In verses 19-26, they try to trap him into saying that they should not pay taxes to Caesar, so they could use that against him. He, of course, said exactly the opposite, noting whose face was on their coins. Yet they would later lie to Pilate, making the accusation that he really did say that.

Luke 21 has the story of the widow who gave all that she had at the offering box, saying that she had done more than any of those who had given larger amounts. He then begins telling them in great detail in most of the remainder of the chapter about the persecution, war and famine that awaited them because of him, along with the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem. He gives them many signs, so the Christians would know what to look for. it is because of this that many of them escaped and survived to continue to spread the gospel.

Jesus tells the story of the unrighteous judge in chapter 18. He neither “feared God nor respected man.” A widow persistently came to him seeking justice for some wrong against her. The judge finally relented because he realized the widow would not leave him alone until he did something.

Jesus was not making the point that God will finally answer our prayers just because He finally gets weary of hearing our constant whining. The point he was making was that prayer is important, and that God does indeed listen to our prayers. Perhaps we will on some occasions “cry out” to Him day and night. But He will give justice to us speedily. Now “speedily” in God’s terms may not be exactly the time frame we have in mind. There are many more to consider than just us, and sometimes we have trials to test us and make us stronger. But justice will come.

Chapter 19 contains Luke’s account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a momentous occasion, and it is lauded by the people as it should have been. Most of them, however, were expecting a different sort of savior, and were giving Him praise in expectation of a political upheaval that would not take place. No doubt this knowledge added to His sadness, as He once again weeps for Jerusalem in verses 41-44.

Jesus speaks in Luke 17 about the temptations to sin. In verses 1-4, he talks about this, and about forgiveness, and about rebuking one’s brother when he sins. This is another passage that underscores the misinterpretation and misapplication of the passages that say “judge not, lest ye be judged.”

Many people who know very little about the bible, know those passages very well. They are the “get out of jail free” cards for sin. “You can’t judge me!” We certainly cannot judge others. And we certainly cannot put ourselves above others. But we must be able to know when others are doing wrong — when they have gone against God’s word. If not, how can we rebuke our brother?

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In verses 1-10 of Luke chapter 16, Jesus tells the story of the “dishonest manager.” He said in verses 10-11:

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches?

It is just one of many examples in which God’s word tells us that He really does “sweat the small stuff.” No act of kindness or unkindness is too small. No act of mercy or being unmerciful is too incidental. No act of honesty or dishonesty goes unnoticed by the Lord. Integrity is of no small measure in His eyes.

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Jesus again talks about what it takes to be one of His disciples in Luke 14. In verses 26-33, He tells them that a disciple must hate his own family — and even his own life. And he finishes up by saying that the disciple must renounce all that he has. Of course we know that Jesus does not want us to hate anyone. It is an expression often used in the bible when talking about loving someone or something more than another, and that is the point.

By the same token, we do not have to give away everything we own. But those people and those things mean little — must mean little — to us in the grand scheme of things. Our devotion to the Lord is what will carry us to the prize at the end.

Much is made by the Pharisees, in chapter 15 and elsewhere, about Jesus associating with sinners and those that the pious do not approve of. Those are naturally the very people Jesus came to associate with, as He said time and again. How often do we try to alienate ourselves from those sorts of people? Certainly, we do not want to put ourselves in a position to be tempted to imitate ungodly behavior. But we have to be “in the world.” We cannot do that if we separate ourselves entirely.

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One of the parables Jesus tells in chapter 12 is that of the rich man who saw how much he had and all he could think of was making room for even more. For some, no matter how much they have, it is never enough. Was Jesus speaking of this to show how wrong it is to be wealthy? Of course not, but his heart belonged to his wealth. there was no mention of taking the excess and helping those in need. No mention of how devoted he was to serving the Lord. He finished the story in verse 21, saying “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself AND is not rich toward God.” God was not in the man’s heart. Neither was anyone else.

In chapter 13, Jesus is getting close to his last days in Jerusalem, and verses 31-35 contain his tearful lament for the price she would pay for her rejection of the savior. Just before his lament, verse 31 states that some Pharisees came to warn Him to leave because Herod wants to kill Him. It is one of many illustrations that there were Pharisees (and Sadducees) that were not against Him. Many, in fact. would be converted.

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The Holy Spirit depicted as a dove, surrounded by angels, by Giaquinto, 1750s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is sometimes the case that we find ourselves to talk to someone about the Lord, only to find that their hearts and minds are closed? Should we have said something different? And many times, we will no doubt think of something we should have said later. Or maybe we will analyze the conversation and decide that we just took the wrong approach. There is nothing wrong with this sort of analysis.

We should always work to improve ourselves and to be able to better speak to others about the kingdom of God. But ultimately, we must remember that it is not us — not our words or our delivery of the message that saves people. It is the Lord. All we can do is to try to plant some seeds. As Jesus told the seventy-two disciples that he sent out in Luke chapter 10: “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” It is not us they reject, but the Lord Himself.

Verses 9-10 of chapter 11 are often quoted, and widely misinterpreted:

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

It is true that God wants to give us good gifts. But that does not mean that He will give us anything we want. We must keep in mind the whole of the scriptures when reading these verses — including James 4:3. We ask according to His will, not according to our passions. That does not make it wrong to ask for material things. Nor does it mean that God will not grant those things to us at times. But He is not obligated to do so at our every whim, nor would it likely be in our best interest for Him to do so. Keep in mind also that Jesus does qualify this in verse 13: “…how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

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The eighth chapter of Luke lists several of the women who had become disciples — some of which, we know will be there for the crucifixion and to see the empty tomb. He calms a storm, heals Jairus’ daughter and another woman, casts out a demon, and tells the disciples the parable of the sower, as well as the purpose of the parables.

Lenten-canvas of Millstatt – The feeding of five thousand (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In verses 16-18, he follows up on the previous verses about hearing the word, and holding it up in a good and honest heart:

No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light.For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.

In chapter 9, Jesus sends out his 12 apostles to preach the gospel, and verses 10-17 contain Luke’s account of the feeding of the 5,000. The chapter is 62 verses long, and also contains the account of the transfiguration – as well as Jesus foretelling his own death twice. But for this post, we will look briefly at verse 23, where Jesus is speaking to the disciples and says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” This is a commitment that disciples, then and now, don’t always take seriously. Being a follower of Jesus is a daily exercise. It is more important than our jobs and (as he emphasizes in verse 62) anything else in our lives on earth.